for years it's been easy to like Apple because they were the
underdog. We like to see the underdog win once in a while.
This has all changed, and Apple's dominance in music players, music
sales, online movie sales, retail stores, and phones - and its growing
computer business - is turning Apple into an 800 lb. gorilla. Imitating
Apple is nothing new, but because of Apple's leadership in so many
areas, it has become
a business plan.
I'd like to switch sides for one day and do a little rooting for HP
and Dell. Sure, combined these guys sell more computers each year than
Apple has done in the last 10, but lately they're looking a little
washed up. I say it's time for a little innovation, not just imitation.
Apple could use the competition before they become the next
monopoly.
Target Your Product
My first piece of advice is find a voice for each of your products.
Buying a Mac is like buying a car. The first thing you're asked is what
model. Buying a PC is like buying toilet paper. The first thing you're
asked is what brand.
Every single Mac model is different and has a target audience. A
true Mac addict can recognize every model they see in a TV ad or movie
just by seeing the keyboard. People are lucky to spot a Dell laptop,
unless it is shown with a huge logo in a close up scene.
HP and Dell, there is nothing special about your computers. IBM used
to have a small amount of style with the ThinkPad series. Sony has
tried with its Vaio line, but nothing stands out in a crowded room.
This approach has to change - dish up a big helping of style that makes
a statement about every model you build.
Recognize the True Enemy
The second piece of advice is recognize the enemy - and it's not
Apple. Microsoft wants computers to be cheap so they make all the
profits by selling software. This approach has driven the cost down to
razor-thin margins, and it hurts your profitability. The people who
profited from this weren't Apple or the rest of the PC vendors; it's
Microsoft who is able to charge more every year for their products
while your PC prices go down.
It's time to wake up and do something while Microsoft has its hands
tied because of the various monopoly rulings against it. Once Microsoft
is in the clear, you can expect it to again clamp down on any
innovations that don't send profits directly to it.
If Microsoft is your enemy, you have to find other software vendors
for allies. Don't put all your eggs in one basket again like you all
did with MS. Repeating that stupid move won't gain you my respect.
Like any good business dealing, play one side off against the other
for the best bargain. Do a little software development of your own. IBM
and Apple have both played this to their advantage. A strong open
source tool with a proprietary makeover is great leverage against your
true enemy and could become a product that you can use and sell on its
own. After all, what good is a toaster if there isn't any bread?
Think Different
My final piece of advice: Don't try to match Apple. Anything you do
to match Apple becomes an advertisement for them. Your product will be
endlessly compared to what Apple is selling. Unless you like to give
Apple free advertising, do something different.
The exception here is the remote possibility that you leap ahead 2-3
generation beyond what Apple is doing. This is not likely to happen,
because they talk to the same parts vendors as you. (Apple has already
found a way to
get computer parts that you can't, sorry.) Any stepwise change is
just going to be caught up within the next round of updates. There have
to be one or two things left that use a display, hard drive, and CPU
that Apple hasn't already cornered the market on.
If you still don't know what to do after all this advice, give me a
call - for the right price you can hire me as your company visionary,
and I'll try to sort things out for you.
Just don't expect me to give up my Mac.
